It's My Job
by iClare
Summary: Jack tells Riley and Bozer about why he won't leave Mac's hospital room.


The door to Mac's hospital room creaked open slowly and it jarred Jack from his thoughts. His head raised from where it had rested on his clasped hands on the hospital. Bozer's sheepish face peaked around the door before letting himself and Riley into the room.

"How's he doing?" Bozer asked as he dragged over the other chair in the room and collapsed into it.

"As well as can be expected," Jack answered with a shrug, stretching his arms above his head with a groan.

Calling their last mission a disaster would have been putting it lightly. A drugs seizure resulted in Jack getting a bullet wound in his thigh - thankfully only a graze - and Mac getting a pretty nasty concussion and a broken collar bone. The younger of the two men had accepted the good painkillers from the Phoenix doctors - at Jack's insistence - and had swiftly fallen into a deep sleep, with Jack at his side.

"You should go and get some rest, Jack," Riley sighed, placing both of her hands on Jack's shoulders and rubbing them affectionately. Jack was quick to respond with a shake of his head.

"No way. I don't leave him when he's in here. It's the rule,"

"The rule?" Bozer and Riley parroted at the same time.

Jack sighed and stretched his injured leg out in front of him with a groan.

"It's the rule. Started back in the sandbox. I don't leave him alone when he's in the hospital. He gets too wrapped up in his own head. Kid has serious abandonment issues."

"Well we know that," Riley agreed. She sensed there was a story coming so she perched herself on the end of Mac's hospital bed, her hand squeezing his shin affectionately.

"It was the first time Mac ended up in the infirmary since I knew him..."

It wasn't often that Mac met a bomb he couldn't disarm. He had been trained well. He knew what he was doing. So when he finally did meet a bomb in an abandoned house in the middle of a small town in Afghanistan he allowed himself a brief moment of panic. He didn't have enough time to disarm the bomb but he did have enough time to pack the bomb down for minimal amount of damage.

"How's it going in there, Carl's Junior?" Jack's voice crackled in his ear and made his jump out of his thoughts. And honestly, Mac didn't know how to answer that question. Jack had only been his Overwatch for 5 weeks and he still wasn't sure how to take him. The Delta soldier had moments of brashness and was the cockiest person Mac had ever met but when Mac watched him in the rare moments of silence at base camp he could see there was a good man behind the hard ass facade. He just had to find it.

"Yo, Angus! Are you ready to bounce? I'm getting bored sitting here waiting on your slow ass to finish," Jack groaned into the comms. Mac was almost too busy finding things to cover the bomb with to respond.

"Uh, yeah, almost done. You should head on. I'll be done in a few minutes," Mac replied, charging upstairs and grabbing the mattress from what once was the bedroom. He quickly dragged it down the stairs and placed it over the still ticking bomb.

"Seriously, kid? Why did I get stuck with the slowest EOD tech in history? I would love to head back and leave your skinny ass here but it's kinda my job to stay and make sure you don't do something stupid like get yourself killed."

Mac almost choked on the laughter in his throat at the irony of the situation. There was no way he was getting out of this situation without at least getting a little bit hurt. He could see kids outside the window. They were playing with a busted soccer ball and his heart hurt at the sight. He couldn't leave. Not when there were so many other lives at risk.

"Nearly done," Mac stated over the comms. He had piled as many soft furnishings as he could find around and on top of the bomb. Placing a dining table over the pile, he looked around for anything else he could use. He stopped and took a deep breath. By his count he had about 20 seconds before the bomb blew.

"Jack, you need to move those kids out of the way. And anyone else you can see nearby," Mac explained.

"Why would I need to move the kids out of the way if you're disarming the bomb? What's going on, kid?" Jack's voice called out to him and Mac could see him the window.

"Just stay back, Jack! Please!"

"What are you doing you dumb-" was all Jack could get out before the bomb exploded. He felt the pressure before he heard the explosion and he was thrown to the ground.

His ears were ringing and he coughed up dust. For a moment he forgot where he was. Then he heard a child crying and it came flooding back to him.

"MacGyver!" Jack shouted, pushing himself to his feet and running for the house where his partner was. The house was surprisingly mostly intact. The room where Mac had been was missing part of the its wall and Jack could just see Mac's blond hair through he settling dust.

"Jesus!" Jack exclaimed, shushing into the house and making his way to the fallen EOD tech.

"Snake bite zero three this is snake bite one one. I need medivac ASAP. My EOD's down."

The muffled response in his ear confirming the request had been received and help was on the way was all Jack needed to hear. He knelt beside the unconscious soldier, unsure where to touch.

"I swear, kid. If you survive this I might just kill you."

When Mac regained consciousness, his brain felt slow and sticky. He was lying down on something masquerading as a soft surface but he could feel every bump underneath him. His skin prickled uncomfortably and he could feel morphine coursing through him. He hated morphine; it made his brain lazy. He huffed a sigh and tried to peel his eyes open.

"Alright, time's up Carl's Junior," a rough voice in his ear made him flinch in surprise. "Time to open those eyes so I can give you the worst dressing down of your life. Or is it the best? Whatever. Nap time's over man."

Initially surprised that there was anyone with him in what was obvious the infirmary, his interest was piqued enough to try and open his eyes again. He blinked several times to clear the fuzziness and to adjust to the light. Turning his head to the right he looked at Jack. The older man looked tired and had enough stubble on his face to show that he hadn't shaved in at least a day.

"Finally, kid! Do you know how boring the infirmary is? I've been sitting here for ages waiting for you to wake up. How do you feel?" Jack leant forward until his arms were resting on his knees.

"Um, fine?" Mac managed to croak around his dry throat. He coughed weakly and looked around for something to sooth the ache there.

"Mmhmm. Totally believable. But if you're feeling up to lying to me, you're well enough for me to shout at. What the fuck were you thinking?" Jack wasn't even trying to control the level of his voice. He wasn't kidding when he said shouting. Mac had the good grace to look at least slightly sheepish.

"I mean do you have any self-preservation? You just thought everyone would be okay if you blew yourself up? Why didn't you get out? Why didn't you tell me what you were planning? I would have come in and helped you."

"Exactly," Mac groaned as he tried to sit himself up. He gave up on the idea as quickly as he started and slumped into the pillow. He pressed a bandaged hand against his ribs at the pulsing ache he felt there.

"'Exactly' what, dude? Have you never had a partner before? Do you not know how this is supposed to go? I'm here to protect you but I can't do that if you don't let me know what's going on," Jack huffed in frustration, pushing himself to his feet and starting to pace the small army infirmary room.

"I made sure no one got hurt. That's my job," Mac mumbled, closing his eyes against a wave of dizziness that washed over him. God he hated morphine.

"'No one got hurt.' You sure about that, kid? Let me update you. 3 broken ribs, fractured wrist, bruise pelvis, concussion so bad I'm surprised you can see straight. You want me to go on?" Jack all but hissed at Mac, stepping close enough to him that the younger man felt oddly threatened by the other soldier.

"No, I get it. But no one else got hurt. That's my job. To make sure no one else gets hurt from a bomb. It doesn't matter if I get hurt as long as no one else does." Mac moaned softly as he shifted in the bed again. He may hate morphine but it wasn't removing the pain completely. He attempted to clear his throat again and shook his head to try and remove the dizziness. He blinked when he realised Jack had started talking again. He missed most of it. The concussion must have affected his hearing.

"...doesn't matter!? Are you serious kid? I was told you were some kind of genius. I think they might need to retest you because from where I'm standing you look like an A grade idiot." Jack had finally stopped pacing, gripping the metal rail at the end Mac's hospital bed until his knuckles turned white.

Mac coughed again. He must have gotten more dust in his throat from the explosion than he thought.

"Well then why are you standing here?" Mac asked with a voice so full of exhaustion that even Jack felt tired. "This is your perfect opportunity to get assigned to another EOD tech. Someone quicker and less unorthodox. You won't have to put up with me anymore." And at those words Jack's heart froze. The way Mac had said them was with such conviction he had definitely been told them before.

Jack nodded in confusion. Mac coughed. He wouldn't meet Jack's eyes. The room felt too claustrophobic.

"I'll get you something to drink. I'll be back in the minute," And with that Jack stormed out of the room.

Mac tried to roll over onto his side but the sharp pain of his broken ribs stopped him suddenly. He bit his lip to hold in the whimper he felt try to escape his lips. His hearing had gone as soon as he had finished his speech and hadn't come back. But he didn't need to hear Jack's response. He had seen the rage on the man's face before he left.

Mac couldn't stop the tear that escaped from beneath his eyelids. Jack had left him. Mac had liked him but he obviously couldn't up with Mac any longer. Not that he blamed him. Mac certainly wasn't a stranger to the feeling of being abandoned. His mother had died when he was a child. His father had abandoned him when he was a teenager and his grandfather had passed away only a few months before his deployment. He was used to being alone. Jack was just one more person who couldn't put up with his bullshit.

Mac's heart hurt. He understood where Jack was coming from and why he was angry but couldn't the other man understand that Mac's death didn't matter as long as it was used to save others?

The whoosh of the morphine machine beside him jolted him. His hearing was back. Unfortunately the drugs hit him quick and hard and he had to resist the urge to pass out. He was on his own again. He had no Overwatch this time, no one to look out for him. He couldn't leave himself unprotected.

Another tear trailed down his face but he couldn't find the energy to wipe it away. He could hear the hustle and bustle of the infirmary outside his room and it was like white noise dragging him closer to sleep.

He shifted on the bed, the pain wakening him and a soft hiss leaving his lips.

"Seriously? I leave you alone for 2 minutes and you're trying to undo all the doctor's hard work? You're a nightmare kid," Jack's voice from the doorway made him jump and he cried out in pain.

"Could you not have waited until I got back before moving?" Jack stepped over to the bed, placing a glass on the table, and hoisted Mac as gently as he could into a more comfortable position.

"I didn't think you were coming back," Mac all but whispered, glancing at Jack from beneath his bangs. Jack's heart was breaking. This kid.

"I told you I was only going to get something to clear your throat," Jack explained, gesturing to the glass of water on the table. Mac lazily followed his gaze and Jack could see how deeply the morphine was affecting him.

"They got you on the good stuff, kid. Should make it easier for you to get some rest," Jack explained with a smile, helping Mac's trembling hand hold the plastic glass to his lips.

Mac took a few small sips before handing the glass back. He shook his head.

"Can't sleep. Need to be alert," Mac argued, his words beginning to slur. His eyes were practically rolling in his head. Jack helped him lie back down and pulled the blankets up further around his chest.

"Why do you need to be alert? You're safe here," Jack explained, retaking his seat beside the bed. Mac only shook his head in response.

"On my own. Need to be alert. Need to stay awake."

Jack rested a hand on the boy's shoulder, his thumb unconsciously rubbing his collar bone.

"You're not on your own, Mac. I'm here. Get some rest and we'll talk more when you're feeling better." Mac gazed up at Jack with drooping eyes and Jack's breath stopped at the pain he saw there.

"You're here?" Mac whispered back, pulling his broken arm across his chest and flexing his fingers.

"Yeah, kid, I'm here," Jack nodded, reaching out and pushing Mac's hair away from his face. "Just get some sleep. I'll keep watch. That's my job."

Mac finally allowed his eyes to slip closed. Jack sat back in the chair with a sigh. How the hell did this happen? How had he become so emotionally invested in this kid after only a few weeks?

Mac's eyes suddenly opened and his drugged gaze met Jack's.

"You called me Mac," the young man croaked. Jack could only nod back.

"I like that," Mac finished with a sloppy smile and closed his eyes again. This time he was out.

Jack chuckled and shook his head. What had just happened? It had all gone so quickly but he knew for a fact now this kid was in his life whether he wanted it or not.

Riley was struggling to contain her tears when a Jack finished his story. She watched as the older man pulled Mac's blankets up around his shoulders, careful not to touch the arm strapped to his chest.

"He never told me he got injured out there," Bozer spoke softly, shaking his head.

"I told them not to tell you," Mac croaked from beside him, reaching his uninsured arm out to grab Bozer's.

"Why would you do that, Mac?" Bozer huffed, throwing his arms in the air.

"Because you worry too much," Mac teased, his eyes drooping. It may not be morphine - Jack had given the doctors strict instructions - but he was definitely on the good stuff.

"I think I have a right to be worried. You need to take better care of yourself," Bozer replied.

"I take plenty good care of myself," Mac responded, scrunching his nose when the words jumbled in his mouth. Riley laughed, rubbing the young man's ankle.

"And besides," Mac slurred, swallowing heavily, "I have you guys, don't I?"

"That's our job," Jack nodded with a smile as Mac's eyes slid shut and he was out.


End file.
